How to use XmlWriterSettings() when using override void WriteEndElement()?

Question

I am working with a legacy application that does not import abbreviated empty xml elements. For example:

BAD empty:

G

Answer 1

The workaround solution you gave in your question adds extra line breaks (when indenting is enabled) because we're telling the writer to treat this element as if it had children.

Here is how I modified your workaround to manipulate the indenting dynamically so as to avoid those extra line breaks.

public class XmlTextWriterFull : XmlTextWriter
{
    public XmlTextWriterFull(TextWriter sink)
        : base(sink)
    {
        Formatting = Formatting.Indented;
    }

    private bool inElement = false;

    public override void WriteStartElement(string prefix, string localName, string ns)
    {
        base.WriteStartElement(prefix, localName, ns);

        // Remember that we're in the process of defining an element.
        // As soon as a child element is closed, this flag won't be true anymore and we'll know to avoid messing with the indenting.
        this.inElement = true;
    }

    public override void WriteEndElement()
    {
        if (!this.inElement)
        {
            // The element being closed has child elements, so we should just let the writer use it's default behavior.
            base.WriteEndElement();
        }
        else
        {
            // It looks like the element doesn't have children, and we want to avoid emitting a self-closing tag.
            // First, let's temporarily disable any indenting, then force the full closing element tag.
            var prevFormat = this.Formatting;
            this.Formatting = Formatting.None;
            base.WriteFullEndElement();
            this.Formatting = prevFormat;
            this.inElement = false;
        }
    }
}